The Penn State School of Hospitality Management in the College of Health and Human Development and the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society (PSHRS) have named Mit Shah, founder and chief executive officer of Noble Investment Group (Noble), as the 2023 Hospitality Executive of the Year.
Jennie deCarrier Benzon, vice president of distinctive franchising brands at Marriott International, has joined the Penn State School of Hospitality Management (SHM) Industry Advisory Board. As vice president of the brands AC Hotels, Aloft, Element, and Moxy, Benzon is responsible for leading franchise advisory councils, achieving key financial metrics, growth distribution, and product and guest service metrics.The board invites industry experts to strategically advise SHM on industry trends and guide students who are studying hospitality management. The members are leaders in the field, including vice presidents and senior vice presidents of large companies and executive vice presidents, chief operating officers, and CEOs of smaller companies. Benzon has a track record of increasing sales, improving quality, exceeding financial projections, and successfully tackling tough projects. Previously, Benzon served as vice president of franchising for the Fairfield Inn and Moxy brands, where she was responsible for working closely with Marriott’s global brand team to continue Fairfield Inn’s rapid growth trajectory and launch the Moxy brand in North America. Benzon also previously served as vice president of renovations and product integrity for the Americas at Marriott, where she was responsible for creating a Center of Excellence for Product Integrity. She was accountable for strategizing with a cross-brand team to improve both renovation execution and the renovation cost model. She also created and led an executive leadership board that included the president of Americas at Marriott and several executive vice presidents and senior vice presidents. Before joining Marriott, Benzon was director of operations at McDonald’s, where she was responsible for $770 million in sales, 110 franchise organizations and 550 franchised restaurants. While there, she developed and oversaw the now famous advertising campaign of “Made For You” for the Northeastern U.S. This involved creating and implementing the operating systems, training programs, tracking and measurement systems, and then rolling out a road tour to introduce it.
Jon Luther, board chairman for Arby's Restaurant Group Inc. and retired CEO and board chairman of Dunkin' Brands, has been named 2015 Hospitality Executive of the Year by the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society (PSHRS).
Donna L. Quadri-Felitti has been selected as the new director of the School of Hospitality Management at Penn State. Her appointment will be effective in July. Prior to joining Penn State, Quadri-Felitti served on the faculty of the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality and Tourism in New York University's School of Professional Studies where her most recent post was as academic chair of the Center.
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management named Nancy Johnson, executive vice president, industry relations, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, as the Spring 2014 Walter J. Conti Visiting Professor. Conti Professors visit the School of Hospitality Management to interact with students and faculty members, to present guest lectures in hospitality management and to speak at graduate and undergraduate colloquia.Johnson will be on campus in April to interact with students and faculty members. She will discuss topics, including hotel development, asset management, operations, strategy, political advocacy, and women's leadership. She also serves on the School of Hospitality Management Industry Advisory Board.
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management named Frits van Paasschen, president and chief executive officer of Starwood Hotels and Resorts Worldwide, Inc. as the Spring 2013 Walter J. Conti Visiting Professor. Conti Professors visit the School of Hospitality Management to interact with students and faculty members, to present guest lectures in hospitality management, and to speak at graduate and undergraduate colloquia. Van Paasschen visited the School of Hospitality Management during the Spring 2013 semester for a presentation to over 200 hospitality students about what van Paasschen calls ‘The Age of Great Change‘ and Starwood’s global perspective on the hospitality industry. His visit also included a roundtable with student leaders and faculty, which allowed for vibrant discussions about leadership and the organization.
Steve Rushmore, chairman and founder of the global hospitality consulting organization HVS, has been named 2012 Hospitality Executive of the Year by the Penn State Hotel & Restaurant Society (PSHRS). Rushmore will receive the award during the fifty-first Hospitality Executive of the Year Award Reception, which will take place November 11, 2012 in conjunction with the annual International Hotel, Motel and Restaurant Show in New York. As part of the honor, Rushmore also will be inducted into the Penn State Hospitality Hall of Fame, located at The Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State’s University Park campus.
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management named Bill Fortier, senior vice president of development at Hilton Worldwide, and Plato Ghinos, president at Shaner Hotel Group, as the 74th and 75th Conti Professors. Conti Professors visit the School of Hospitality Management to interact with students and faculty members, to present guest lectures in hospitality and foodservice management, and to speak at graduate and undergraduate colloquia.
The Penn State School of Hospitality Management named Bill Fortier, senior vice president of development at Hilton Worldwide, and Plato Ghinos, president at Shaner Hotel Group, as the 74th and 75th Conti Professors. Conti Professors visit the School of Hospitality Management to interact with students and faculty members, to present guest lectures in hospitality and foodservice management, and to speak at graduate and undergraduate colloquia. Fortier and Ghinos both visited the School of Hospitality Management during the fall 2011 to lead a program and classroom discussion with over 200 students about hospitality real estate and development from both the franchisor and franchisee perspectives. Fortier later hosted 40 students for a day at the Hilton Worldwide headquarters in McLean, Virginia. There, Hilton executives joined Fortier in presenting real estate case studies, giving tours of their concept rooms and reviewing sustainability practices at the nearby Hilton McLean. Ghinos and executives from Shaner Hotel Group are working with the School of Hospitality Management to create an international internship for their new property, Renaissance Il Ciocco Tuscany Resort and Spa in the Tuscany region of Italy. This will be the first international addition to internships already offered to many students at Shaner properties in the local region.
Roger Dow, president and chief executive officer of U.S. Travel Association, has been named the 2010 Hospitality Executive of the Year by the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society (PSHRS). Dow will receive the award during the forty-ninth Hospitality Executive of the Year Award Reception on Sunday, November 14, 2010, at the Rosenthal Pavilion of the Kimmel Center, New York University. As part of the honor, Dow will also be inducted into the Penn State Hospitality Hall of Fame, located at The Nittany Lion Inn on Penn State’s University Park campus. “Mr. Dow has been a real pioneer for the hospitality industry. We are pleased to induct him into the Penn State Hospitality Hall of Fame,” said Joe McCann, president of Optimum Hotel Brokerage and president of the Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society. “In recognizing Roger Dow, we also recognize U.S. Travel Association’s influence and leadership within the hospitality industry.” Dow has served as president of U.S. Travel since 2005. Prior to this, he served in many roles with Marriott International for thirty-four years, ending with senior vice president, Global and Field Sales, leading Marriott's 10,000-person worldwide sales organization. His many accomplishments for the company included the development of Marriott Rewards, the world's leading frequent traveler program.